And one-sixth to  russell



Feb. 10, 1925. 1,525,660

A. c. sAvlDGE STEERING GEAR ATTACHMENT Filed March 12. 1925A By E ' ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 10, 1925.

UNITED `sTAr:i1-.s

`1,525,560 PATENT caries..

ALBERT c; isAvrnen, cnimnrannroms, INDANA, Aesienon .or `clin-siriani rro `ro-HN scHUnssnnn-,oNE-srxrn To Kiwis r. vvviinrnns, cnn-emitir` TonunoLPH c; EISENBACH, ONE-siriana ro wrLLrAii/iri. cAsoN, ALL or LAFAYETTE, iNDIANA, AND ONE-SIXTH fro n-Ussntn `no,vmfiaiinl or `innrain/ironie,'rrinninA.

.. STEERING-.GEAR ATTACIIMENT,`

i Application filed March 12, 1923. Serial No. 624;374.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itlnownthat I, ALBERT C.` SAviDen, a citizen ot thellnited `States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county ot" Marion and State ot Indiana, 'have invented anew and Auseful IEnteering-Gfear Attachment, ot which the following isa "specification.`4

It" isftheobject ot my invention 'to pro duce a simple 4and effective-steering device for relieving the strainlon the driver of an automobile in which the steering gear is not horizontal `traginental section, in partial plan, through my steering deViceonthe line 2-'2 otFig. 3; and Fig.' 3 is'avertical sectionl on "the scale of Fig. 2 on the line 3-3 o'llTigs.V 1 and 3. l

The iront axle 10, which is attached to the chassis in any convenient manner, is provided with the usual steering knuckles 11, pivote-d to the ends ot the axle on the usual pivotal supports "12, and having the `usual rearwardly extending arms 13"interco`1jinected" by thev usual link or connecting rod 14 the two endslot which are pivotally con@ nected tothe respective `arms 13; and' one endet thelink 14, or one ot the arms 13, is connected by a rod 15 to an arm 16 on a steeringpost 17 operable b the usual steering wheel 18. This isV ot standard `construction, and is indicated only diagrammatically. l l i My present invention provides a springdevice of novel constructionacting between the axle 10 and thelink .14 and tending to hold such link and the steering knuckles 11 in a given position relative to the axle 10, so that the guiding wheels on the steering knuckles will bein the.straightahead position. :I "ain" aware that spring devices tori-,his purpose are old, and,in` fact, such a device is shown in my `prior `Patent No. 1,131,796, granted march" 16, "1915; rbut my present linvention is a development, simplification, and improvement over such Aprior devices, including that shown inmy aforesaid prior patent. l f" j By my ,presentv invention, I providef a hollow .-spiingpasingQG, which is mounted on the rear lface ot `the Iaide 10 g at about the middle thereof and clamped' to the axle by avclamping plate 21and-suitable'cla-nip ing bolts 22, ot which latterthere are pret erably tour. The spring-casing '20 has suitable boltdugs 23 and positioning yfingers 21,1-, for bearing against the rear ot the axle 10 and positioning the spring-casing onsaid axle and tor receiving `the clamping bolts 22. The spring casing 2O isa single hollow casting, wide at. the `middle andnarrow at the ends, with one ofthe two narrow ends, and preferably both ot them, open through out the height of the ,spring-casing to 'give access thereto whentheclosing plates 25 provided at such ends are removed. The end-closing plates 25 areattaclied-to the open ends of the spring-casing casting, by suitable attaching screws 25', `usually two tor each closingplate. On theupperfside at the center, the spring-casing casting `has a vertical bearingdioleQG, while directly below on the inside ot the underA Yifaceoi said casting is a bearing recess27, lwhich does not project through the casting but lis provided in a boss 28 on the underdface thereot. The bearing hole 26 andthe 'bearing recess 27 are vertically alined, and pivotally support upper and lower cylindrical parts 29 and 30 of adownwardlyprojecting pivotor bearing member 31 at the forward or pivotal end ot a rearwardly projecting `arm 32, which projects rearward tor co-operation with the link 14.

The arm 32 is preferably made as an extension ar1n,"ot two parts 33 and 34 which are superposed and one ol2 which is longitudinally slotted to receive clamping bolts 35 co-operating with the other part; by the loosening of which bolts the arm may be adjusted to anyV desired effective length,

which, may be maintained by tightening The rear or swinging such clamping bolts. end of the arm 32 1s enlarged and Ivertically perforated, to receive pivotally a rota- Cil table plug 36 which is provided at its upper edges with a flange 37 overhanging the edge of the wall of the hole in the end of the arm 32. A U-bolt 3S is carried by the plug 36, and embraces the link 14, passing beneath such link and having its two ends projecting upward through such plug to receive clamping nuts 39 at their upper ends. The plug 36 can be withdrawn upward from its bearing hole in the arm 32 when it is not attached to the link 14 by the U-bolt 38, but is held from being withdrawn downward from such hole by the overhanging flange 87, which also largely keeps dirt and water out of such hole. lVhen the plug is attached to the link 14, however, it is wholly locked in such hole because the link crosses the lower end of the plug and the lower end of the hole. The plug 36 has downwardly projecting notched flanges 40 which llt on the upper side of the link 14 to prevent relative turning of the link and plug.

Between the two bearing parts 29 and 30, the pivot 81 has a relatively flattened portion 44 to provide opposite Vrelatively flattened spring-bearing surfaces 45. Two leaf springs 46, each comprising a plurality of leaves, may be inserted into the springcasing 20 from either openable end thereof, when the closing plate 25 is removed, and at their middles bear oppositely against the two flattened spring-bearing faces 45, while at their ends they bear outward against the inner faces of the side walls of the springcasing. The several leaves of each spring 46 are preferably of different lengths, the shortest being toward the bearing faces 45; as this permits the possibility of relative sliding between springs, and reduces friction and wear on such bearing faces. The leaf springs 46 tend to straighten, and by their co-operation with the flattened portion 44 they tend to set such flattened portion lengthwise of the spring-casing 2O whenever it is turned in either direction from such position. This flattened portion 44 has its long dimension perpendicular to the arm 32, so that by its interaction with the springs 46 it always tends tc swing the arm 32 to an intermediate position in which such arm extends directly backward from the spring-casing 20, and tends to move such arm to that position whenever it is turned in either direction therefrom.

As t-he spring-casing 2O is wholly closed at bottom and ends, and has only the two end openings which are closed by the plates 25 and the top opening through which the pivot 31 extends down into it, it may be completely filled with grease or other lubricant, and will retain such lubricant indelinitely because it has no openings through which such grease can escape. To aid this purpose, suitable gaskets 47 may be provided beneath the end-closing plates This makes all the parts within the springcasing work in grease, with substantially no attention after being installed.

Further, the flattened portion 44 is wholly within the circumference of the cylindrical portion 29 and 8O, s0 that the pivot may be inserted and removed readily through the hole 26. l/Vhen the pivot 31 is in place in the spring-casing 2Oa it is locked there by the springs 46 when they are in place, as such springs extend over the cylindrical portion 30 and thus while in place in the spring-casing prevent the pivot from being removed. This makes a very simple selflocking assembly. If for any reason it is desired to` remove the pivot, the two endclosing plates 25 are first removed and the springs 46 are thus pushed out through one now-open end of the spring-casing.

rloinstall my steering device, the springcasing 20 is attached to the axle 10 by the clamping plate 21 and clamping bolts 22; preferably at about the middle of the axle 10 though this is not essential. Then the plug 36 is clamped to the link 14, by the U-bolt 38, preferably at about the middle of such link 14 though that also is not essential. In any case, the spring-casing 2O and plug 36 are clamped to the axle 10 and link 14, respectively, in such positions that with the arm 32 in the position to which it is pressed by the springs 46 the guiding wheels on the steering knuckles 11 are in straight-ahead position. l/Vhen the device as thus installed is in operation, the driver steers the car in the usual way. As he turns the steering knuckles 11 to swing the car either to the right or to the left, the link 14 is shifted endwise and carries with it the rear end of the arm 32, thus rotating the pivot 31 so that the flattened portion 44 further bows the leaf springs 46. As the driver returns his steering wheel 18 to the straight-ahead position, he is assisted in this by the action of the now straightening springs 46. More important, however, the action of thc springs 46 on the flattened portion 44 tends to hold the steering knuckles 1l in the straight-ahead position, so that the driver may be relieved of much of the strain of holding the steering wheel 18 in this position, thus making driving less tiresome.

I claim as my invention:

1. A steering device, comprising a hollow spring-casing, an arm having' a pivot mounted in said spring-casing, said pivot having a flattened part within said spring-casing,

and a leaf-spring mounted in said springcasing and bearing on said flattened part, said spring-casing having an openablc end through which the leaf-spring may he inserted and withdrawn endwise.

2. A steering device, comprising a hollow Ell) lil)

spring-casing, an arm having a pivot mounted in said spring-casing, said pivot having a flattened part within said spring-casing, and a leaf-spring mounted in said springcasing and bearing on said flattened part, said pivothaving a lateral projection beyond said flattened part to co-operate with the edge of the leaf-spring to lock the pivot in its mounting.

3. A steering device, comprising a hollow spring-casing, an arm having a pivot mounted in said spring-casing, said pivot having a flattened part within said spring-casing, and a leaf-spring mounted in said springcasing and hearing on said lflattened part, said spring-casing having an openable end through which the leaf-spring may bev inserted and withdrawn endwise, and said pivot having a lateral projection beyond said flattened part to co-operate with the edge of the leaf-spring to lock the pivot in its mounting.

l. A steering device, comprising a hollow spring-casing, an arm having a pivot mounted in said spring-casing, said pivot having a flattened part within said spring-casing, and a leaf-spring mounted in said springcasing and co-operating with said pivot at said flattened part to spring-press the arm to a given position and to lock the pivot in its mounting.

5. A steering device, comprising a hollow spring casing internallyT wide at the middle and narrow at the ends and having a transverse bearing open only at the top, an arm having a pivot mounted in said bearing, said pivot having a flattened part, said spring-casing being normally closed but openable at at least one end, and a leafspring insert-ible through a narrow openable end of said spring casing to co-operate with said flattened part.

6. A steering device, comprising a hollow spring casing internally wide at the middle and narrow at the ends and having a transverse bearing, an arm having a pivot mounted in said bearing, said pivot having a flattened part, said spring-casing being openahle at at least one end, and a leafspring insertible through a narrow openable end of said spring casing to co-operate with said flattened part.

7. A steering device, comprising a hollow spring casing internally wide at the middle and narrow at the ends and having a transverse bearing open only at the top, an arm having a pivot mounted in said bearing, said pivot having a flattened part, said spring- Y:asing being normally closed but openable at at least one end, and a leaf-spring insertible through a narrow openable end of said spring casing to co-operate with said flattened part to spring-press the arm to a given position and lock the pivot in place.

8. A steering device, comprising a hollow spring casing internally wide at the middle and narrow at the ends and having a. transverse bearing, an arm having `a pivot mounted in said bearing, said `pivot having a flattened part, said spring-casing being openable at at least one end, and a leaf-spring insertible through a narrow openable end of said spring casing to co-operate with said flattened part to spring-press the arm to a given position and locl the pivot in place.

9. A steering device, comprising a support, an arm pivotally mounted in said support, a spring actingl between said arm and said support to spring-press the arm to a given position relative to the support, said arm having a hole yat a point remote from the pivot, a plug pivotally mounted in said hole and constructed to hold itself from withdrawal from the hole in one direction, and an attaching device for fastening said plug to a rod which crosses both it and the Vhole at the hole-end from which the plug cannot be withdrawn.

10. A steering device, comprising a hollow spring-casing, an arm having a pivot mounted in said spring-casing, said pivot having a flattened part within said springcasing, and a leaf-spring mounted in said spring-casing and bearing on said flattened part, said leaf-spring comprising a plurality of leaves which can slide relatively to one another'.

ll. A steering device, comprising a hollow spring-casing, an arm having a `pivot mounted in said spring-casing, said pivot having a flattened part within said springeasin', and a leaf-spring mounted in said spring-casing and bearing on said flattened part at an intermediate point and on the spring-casing at the ends, said leaf-spring comprising a plurality of leaves of successively increasing length with the shortest leaf toward the pivot.

l2. A steering device, comprising a support for attachment to an axle, an arm having a pivotmounting in said support, a plug pivotally mounted in theend of said arm for attachment toa link of the steering mechanism, said arm being adjustable in length to vary the distance from said plug to said pivotal mounting, and a spring acting on said arm tending to move it to a predetermined position.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Indianapolis, indiana, this 15th day of February, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and twenty-three` ALBERT C. SAVIDGE. 

